Spotted Canary Blog

 Last month, Miss Nifty Thrifty had a little contest.

(Don’t worry; we will have more in the future.)

All you had to do was leave a comment and you were put into a drawing for a free punch.
Don’t you just love that? (Contest ended 2-11-11)

And the winner is-- 

Candy Cake and Crafts.
http://candycakeandcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-won-heart-punch-from-spotted-canary.html 

Let’s give her a big shout out!

Thank you everyone for playing along!  I enjoyed reading all the comments and great ideas!

I appreciate each one of you reading Miss Nifty Thrifty.

Okay, come with me on a journey.

We will leave this wintry mess my community has been experiencing and head to brighter, happier place

•   Hop inside my car,   
•   Put on your seatbelt,   
•   And bring your creativity.  

First stop is my local Thrift Store…

This has to be one of the cleanest thrift stores on the planet.
No unusual odor when you walk through the door but instead a treasure of endless ideas await.

We are looking for a lampshade!

•  It must have a wire frame in it.   
• Any size lampshade will work.   
• Don’t worry about the fabric covering it.   

How about this one for $1.50? The price is right!

Okay, back in the car to my little pink studio for some fun!

First step is to take all that gorgeous fabric (hee hee) off the frame.

Peel the tape off the top and bottom of the wire frame and then use your scissors to help start a place where you can tear or rip the fabric.

Old lampshades work best because the glue no longer sticks.

Take off all the fabric so the lampshade is down to the wire.

Use a little sandpaper if you need to remove some stubborn glue.

Out to the garage we go to spray paint the frame.

• Make sure your spray paint works on metal.   
• Not all spray paints are created equal.
• Always spray paint in a well ventilated area.  

My dear husband just loves me spray painting in our garage because once in awhile the floor magically turns pink. I am not sure how this happens.

Now for my favorite part, DECORATING or EMBELLISHING the frame.

It is going to be a mobile for my studio.

 I need something to help me feel like spring is on its way.

Unfortunately, the day you decided to craft with me,

the snow/sleet mix is causing the children to come home early from school.

We better get crafting.

The lampshade we chose had 3 notches on the top of the frame.

So that is how we determined how many dangles to create.

Using the bird pattern,

cut 3 bird bodies and 3 matching wings from a mat sized paper pad.  

• It is a perfect size for our little birds.   
• It is double sided so when they fly you can enjoy the color and pattern on both sides of the birds.   
• Best of all, it is much cheaper than buying a 12 x 12 patterned paper pad.   
• If you are feeling even more frugal, then simply cut the bird pattern from a cardboard cereal box and cover the shape with newspaper, old book pages, or even magazine paper.   
• This will give you a variety of looks from vintage (using and old book) to modern design (using a magazine).   

Punch or cut circles and sandwich fishing line between the punched pieces.

Attach your birds to the bottom of the fishing line.

A little tip when working with fishing line is to tie a double knot and then add a drop of glue on the knot.

 I used to have the worst time with my fishing line knots coming undone.

At the top of the lampshade, add pieces from a girl’s toy necklace.

I found some for 5 cents apiece at the thrift store counter. Cut them apart and glue them to your frame. Add pink bows or any color you like.

Let’s make a garden bloom and hurry spring up on our lampshade.

Start with large pink and yellow flowers.

You aren’t going to believe this but they are actually heart punches, using that heart punch from last month’s post!

 It is a punch that just keeps on giving! 

Here are the steps for creating the flower.

Start with a circle base. Glue 4 punched heart pieces onto the circle base.

 Punch 3 more hearts, and to add some flair to them, use a border punch to create a polka dot look.

 It is fun to use your border punches in ways that aren’t the usual.

I always say, “step out of the creative box and allow your imagination to soar.”

Fold the polka dotted hearts in half to create a more dimensional petal.

Add a punched circle with a button in its center to finish your flower.

 Cut your own leaves without a pattern.

• Start by cutting an oval shape.   
• It doesn’t have to be perfect.  
• Snip the ends on the oval to change it into a leaf.   

Cover the base of your lampshade with trim.

 It can be anything from ribbon, to yarn wrapped around it, to a paper punched border.

Dig in your stash to see what you already have.

Add the large yellow and pink flowers along with some smaller punched blue flowers to the trim.

 Attach your birds so they fly in the center of the mobile and add a hanger to your lamp shade.

 

 I threaded tulle through a large button that wouldn’t slide through the lampshade hole.

Welcome spring in your home and just think how little the lampshade cost you!

After I made this project, it had my creativity in full bloom.

Wouldn’t this mobile make such a cute bridal shower decoration in a bride’s wedding colors or even as a baby shower decoration with little animal cut-outs hanging from it?

Then, I started thinking about a little girl’s bedroom.

How cute would this be with her friend’s photos hanging in the center instead of the paper birds.

Thanks for venturing out with me today.

Now get started making a mobile for your studio or your home.

• Fill it will vintage finds,
• family photos, or
• whatever makes your heart sing
• and please tell spring to hurry up!

I sure miss it!

Love, Happiness, and Crafting! ~Miss Nifty Thrifty (Studio Pink)
Kara Ward

Click on this photo to see more photos of sewing on this page!

I hear a lot of people say that they are afraid to sew on paper. I understand the fear – it’s a little scary to think about sewing on that beautiful project. I am here to tell you it’s time to conquer your fear and stitch on paper today! 

Sewing on paper is just like sewing on fabric, with a few differences.

 

See more projects I've created with sewing on them in my Gallery.

                When you are sewing on paper:

• You don’t have to worry about a seam allowance because you aren’t going to turn it inside out
• You’ll never have to worry about the integrity of your adhesive because your stitches will stay intact
• You’ll hardly ever have to take your stitches out because your project doesn’t fit

Still nervous, it’s ok. You can do it. I know you can.

The most asked question I get is; what are my best tidbits of advice for someone wanting to start sewing on paper??    

Example of a card made from scraps to practice stitching.

• Create some stitching projects from scraps of papers you know you’ll never use and practice
• Really learn how to use your machine

 

 

• Another biggie – the machine isn’t threaded correctly. Find the instructions for your machine and take a little refresher course. If you don’t have the instructions, use Google or Bing to help you find them. Type the brand and model of your sewing machine plus the word manual in the search box and see what you can find. In some cases you may have to purchase the file, but if you need help some of the basics, having the manual to help you to use your machine properly would be worth $10.00. 

Your machine may have a threading diagram on it, it might look like this.

• The second biggest mistake beginning sewers make?? The thread tension on the machine isn’t set properly. If you don’t understand thread tension, the simple answer is this: if you want to have the stitches look the same on both sides of your project, the same amount of thread needs to flow from the spool (or top thread) and the bobbin (or bottom thread) at the same rate and amount, or simultaneously.
• All machines have four different devices that help regulate the thread – the thread guides, a tension regulator for the spool thread, the tension discs, and a bobbin case spring for the bobbin thread. When these four elements are adjusted and threaded properly your machine will allow the thread to flow from the needle and the bobbin evenly, producing a uniform stitch on the top and bottom of your project. 

This is the tension adjustment dial on my machine

You can go here and read this article at Threads Magazine to find out more about thread tension how to adjust yours properly.  

Other things to think about when making adjustments to your sewing machine:

• The stitch length should be at least 1/8” long. Not sure where to adjust that, look in your manual to see which knob will make that adjustment for you. 

This is the stitch length adjustment knob on my machine

• Change your needle and make sure it’s inserted properly.
• It’s a good idea to have matching thread on the spool and in the bobbin, at least in weight and type of thread. 

• Use a needle that is appropriate for what you are stitching. For chipboard and thick papers I use a size 14. For layered papers with no chipboard I use a 10 or 11. 

A variety of different needles, ranging from 10's to 14's

• When adding elements to your paper project, keep the adhesive to a minimum and try not to sew where you placed the adhesive. If you needle gets gummed up, squirt some Alcohol Blending Solution on a scrap of cloth and stitch back and forth through it to clean it off.   
• Never sew through wet glue or paint. TRUST me; it’s not a pretty sight.
• Rather than stitch back and forth to lock your threads at the beginning and ending of each section, pull the dangly thread ends to the back and secure them in a knot to keep your project tidy and your stitches secure.

If all these suggestions I’ve given don’t help to create beautiful, uniform stitches on all your projects, it may be time to seek out a professional for a tune up, a cleaning and basic adjustment of your sewing machine.

The threads and stitches that sewing on paper add create so much texture and interest; no project is complete to me without a little stitching!

If you’ve got a particular questions about sewing on paper, feel free to send me a message here on the Spotted Canary (CMScanlon) and I’ll do my best to answer it.

Happy Stitching…..and remember more practice makes perfect stitches.   

Wikipedia explains Saint Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day, as an annual commemoration held on February 14 to celebrate love and affection between intimate companions.

Other interesting facts about Valentine’s Day:

• The day was officially named by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD after one or more Christian martyrs named Valentine.
• Saint Valentine’s Day was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted.
• It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
• Saint Valentine’s Day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages. It wasn't until Chaucer wrote his 1382 poem, "Parlement of Foules," that February 14 became associated with friendship and love

  What I know about Valentine’s Day is that it’s a day that I can practice two of my favorite pastimes to please the ones I love: crafting and cooking!   

   

I’m not sure when Valentine’s day became as commercialized as it is, but you don’t really need to spend a lot of money to make something special, but a little time investment will be necessary.  

Every year I spend an afternoon or so in the kitchen making homemade chocolates to fill candy boxes and tins to give to my loved ones. I spend another afternoon making a fancy tag or card to accompany each box of chocolates and I’ve got a beautiful, handmade Valentine that is more meaningful than a box of Russell Stover chocolates!

Do you want to give it a try this year?? Here’s my favorite recipe for Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. I love this recipe, it’s easy, fast and it’s really easy to make basic flavor changes!! Fox example, want to make Starbucks coffee truffles, just add a packet of Starbucks Instant coffee to the melted chocolate mix and voila, yummy Coffee Truffles!  To tell the difference between flavors I decorate the tops with different types of candy sprinkles, I picked up the Sprinkle Set at a local shop for just $2.99!

Once the truffles are done, packaging is easy, start by saving candy boxes, metal tins and small chipboard boxes during the year. When Valentine’s Day comes around and you’ve made your chocolates, fill your recycled tins and boxes with fancy foil candy wrappers stuffed with your custom truffles. Once you tie a pretty ribbon around it and add your pretty Valentine’s Day card or tag your valentine offering is ready to go.

  

Make one batch of truffles or many, decorate the recycled tins or not, make Semi-Homemade cards or elaborate cards and tags – the choice is yours to commit to depending on what you have for time to invest.

Just know that your family and friends will appreciate that you spent your few spare and precious moments making something special for them – they will indeed feel more loved and appreciated than if you ran into the five and dime and bought a box of Russell Stover’s. And believe me; they taste as good as an expensive box of Godiva Chocolates!

Hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day!

I’m pulling, as they say in quarterback lingo, an audible. I have no real plan. No engaging story. No idea how this post will evolve.

Just winging it; hoping to at least make a first down.

I do know that the City of Arlington, which is right next door to my little community of Mansfield, is getting ready for some serious football. Even under the sheets of ice that have laid their shimmery slickness on all its roads, the work still goes on, prepping and polishing Cowboys Stadium for the game of all games, The Super Bowl. There is a palpable excitement, mixed with all the sleet and snow, hanging in the air.

It’s been a good year for the little-big city that sits smack dab in the middle of Dallas/Ft. Worth. It hosted the World Series in October and now, just a few short months later, The Super Bowl. It’s swelling with pride. Kinda like a parent watching their child making their first touchdown.

It’s not hard to be tackled by Super Bowl fever. There are reminders everywhere. The DFW airport is padded in banners and decals. Hundreds of posters are clipped to street lights and business windows are covered with painted logos.

My family and I snapped up some of the frenzy a few Saturday’s ago and headed north to check out the stadium. We walked as much of the perimeter as we could, marveling at the sheer volume of the house that Jerry Jones built.






My boys had been there before. A pre-season game in the end zone. But this was my first visit. I was sacked with awe.






So on our way home, I got to thinking that I should do a Super post.

And before the playoffs even happened, I had decided on my color story. Black, yellow and green. Yeah, how convenient was it that the two teams going to the Bowl don black, yellow and green? Super!

So here’s a look at my version of a Super Bowl Party. It’s done just the way I like it … quick and easy. Oh, I threw a couple of inspirational passes in there too … enjoy!







Pre-Game Show

To me, the pre-game show is the invite. I saw this picture on Top Party while I was info shopping and the banner caught my eye.






So, I decided to use it as my inspiration motif and designed the invite to have a banner across it.






I formatted, then printed the party details on white cardstock and then glued small triangles along the top. A quick pass of the sewing machine wound with black thread to string the banner together and to finish it off, circle punches filled with part of the title. Easy and fairly quick to do.

If you are in a time crunch, don’t hesitate to send invites via e-mail. There are plenty of football themed ones out there and you could even use it as your motif inspiration for the remainder of your party accessories.


Press Passes

Every member of the media has to have a name badge in order to get access to all the players and teams. Give your guests their own id badge to wear so that they can access all the party fun.





Pick up the string and cases at your local office supply store and construct the inserts just like the invites.


Super Souvenirs

I usually try to avoid the t-shirt and hat kiosks. Cha ching. But my boys always seem to end up there. And the next day there always seems to be a t-shirt in my son’s hamper with a price tag amount equivalent to my yearly wardrobe budget. Ouch.

Give guests a sack full of souvenirs to help them survive and celebrate the game.






A soft football as well as a “penalty” marker will hopefully keep your TV intact when ref calls are out of bounds. The marker is simply a lollipop covered with a yellow napkin and secured with a rubber band. Easy peasy.






Stadium Décor

From the team names on the field, to the decals adorning the outside windows, to the full wall art work picked out by Mrs. Jones, the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington will be all decked out when Sunday rolls around. Every flat surface covered with some sort of trademarked logo. A visual line-up bordering on the over stimulated offensive.

But no worries. Your party décor doesn’t have to be overdone or expensive works of art. Gather things from around your house that fit the football theme and create a simple banner to act as a backdrop. Grab footballs, pom poms, whistles, or jerseys. You may even have a stadium chair to set up and use as a prop.








This football player and wheat grass centerpiece from Hostess Blog is adorable.






High kick love it! BUT … I couldn’t find any of the players and wheat grass? Yeah, my son’s cat would have it eaten in minutes. It did inspire my next décor item though …

Use a table runner to pull all of your staged items together. I bought a foot length of green outdoor carpet to use as my party runner. It cost less than $6 and with the addition of white electric tape, it scores big on the faux field cuteness factor.






I loved these football vases from Celebrations, especially the mums. Mums are big football items here in Texas. Fresh flowers can get expensive, so try whipping some up from tissue paper instead. Fast and cha-cheap.






Concessions

Mmmm. Yummy luke warm, processed cheese product, over-priced nachos. It wouldn’t be a sporting event without them!

But just in case you’d like to serve something less artery hardening, try these mini-tacos from Delish.com.






For dessert, these whoopee pies from Make Merry Events are a real touchdown.






To mark your refreshments, just print, cut and skewer some labels.






Mark guest drinks with name pennants hung by bead chain. A first down way to keep beverages teamed up with their rightful owners.







Half-Time Entertainment

In case there are those not interested in watching the Black Eyed Peas half time show, have some games for them to pass the time. Search the web for trivia or bingo card fillers. Keep score and award a prize before everyone leaves.





How about a cheerleading competition?




Divide guests into two teams and hand out pom poms. Give the teams 10 minutes to write and choreograph their cheer. Then have a three person panel judge the teams’ performances and award something to the winners. Funny with a capital FUN!


Post Game Wrap-Up/Awarding the Trophy

Every Super Bowl has a ring. Award your party game winner with his/her own Super Bowl ring so they can show off their super skills Monday at the water cooler. No ring? Repurpose an old trophy.






So dear reader, whether you plan to have a bowlful of guests on Sunday or plan to skip the hub-bub all together, I hope you’ve found some ideas to intercept and use; score big ideas that will make you want to do a celebration dance in your living room.

Thanks for being so super dear reader! 

~Elizabeth (ekb)